Rumor: Apple to Announce Third-Generation AirPods and HiFi Apple Music Tier in 'Coming Weeks'

[applezulu]

Not mentioned here, but likely part of the coming HiFi upgrade are surround sound formats. AirPods Pro are already capable of spatial audio playback, including Dolby Atmos surround sound, which is not just left/right, but front/back and up/down. It puts you in the room. Tidal and Amazon already have this format, but charge extra for it and provide a terrible UI and implementation that makes it really not worth it.

Apple, however, has already put the required hardware in millions of people's pockets for surround formats, and in quite a few homes with Apple TV attached to surround speaker setups. All they have to do is flip the switch to make that content available. And while there will always be debate as to whether most users can tell the difference between AAC and lossless audio when both are two-channel stereo, pretty much anyone would be wowed listening to a properly mixed recording in Dolby Atmos.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

apple has their own lossless codec which you can rip ur CDs has, its called ALAC or Apple Lossless

That’s not an option in iTunes/Music.
The highest you can go is 256kbps AAC.

 

[rosegoldoli]

That’s not an option in iTunes/Music.
The highest you can go is 256kbps AAC.

it is for me..have you dug into apple music/itunes preferences and import settings?

 

[Polly Mercocet]

Not mentioned here, but likely part of the coming HiFi upgrade are surround sound formats. AirPods Pro are already capable of spatial audio playback, including Dolby Atmos surround sound, which is not just left/right, but front/back and up/down. It puts you in the room. Tidal and Amazon already have this format, but charge extra for it and provide a terrible UI and implementation that makes it really not worth it.

Apple, however, has already put the required hardware in millions of people's pockets for surround formats, and in quite a few homes with Apple TV attached to surround speaker setups. All they have to do is flip the switch to make that content available. And while there will always be debate as to whether most users can tell the difference between AAC and lossless audio when both are two-channel stereo, pretty much anyone would be wowed listening to a properly mixed recording in Dolby Atmos.

Yes I'd be very surprised if Apple didn't roll out Dolby Atmos for Apple Music HiFi or whatever they end up calling it. They've been integrating Atmos capable hardware into new products (e.g. new iMac) and even updated the OG HomePods to support it right before discontinuing them.

Plus their music streaming competition already either has Atmos or another spatial audio format. So it only makes sense for Apple to compete in that area especially when going for the lossless market.

And especially if they keep it at the same price as regular Apple Music and finally add support for something better than AAC via bluetooth, easily done in an iOS update, they could very easily take a chunk of business from Spotify and put a real dent in Tidal - which is kind of a shame, actually, as I like that Tidal is owned by artists and pays them more fairly, plus more competition is always good for the consumer, but ultimately any iOS using Tidal customer will now have a choice of lossless Apple Music for £9.99 or Tidal HiFi for £19.99... you'd have to be super loyal to Tidal to stick with 'em.

But what Apple seriously needs to do is support codecs above AAC for bluetooth audio. I'd love for them to add LDAC support but I don't see that happening, it's not really "the Apple way" to pay Sony licensing fees for a bluetooth codec just so customers can get more from Sony headphones. More likely Apple will create their own proprietary codec for high res bluetooth audio, build it into their own headphones (AirPods Max, Beats), and license it to other companies. They'd become the market standard very quickly that way.

If they go above and beyond LDAC though it might even make those £550 AirPods Max worth the money if they can provide lossless and spatial audio wirelessly, seamlessly from Apple Music, with all the convenience that comes from the ecosystem integration e.g. auto device switching.

And of course AirPods Max will ensure you cannot hear those broke AirPods Pro owners

 

[Polly Mercocet]

apple has their own lossless codec which you can rip ur CDs has, its called ALAC or Apple Lossless

Yep it's also easy to convert FLAC to ALAC so you can open them in Music as well.

Would be awesome to see ALAC support for Apple Music Cloud Library.

Tidal uses MQA which is also lossy and basically a DSP. The difference you heard could be related to a few different factors.

Only for 24-bit "Master" tracks. For HiFi tracks they just use regular lossless 16-bit FLAC.

 

[ericwn]

No, I called it. Read up on this, they are actually doing this. Just like Audio Sharing and Spacial Audio.

Also, AriPods are the mainstream wireless headphones. The hardcore ones are niche products.

I read up on it.

“Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to Dolby Atmos tracks using any headphones, according to Apple.”

Apple Music Gaining Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio in iOS 14.6, Not All Tracks Supported at Launch

Apple Music's incoming Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio features will be available in June on devices running iOS 14.6, iPadOS...

www.macrumors.com

So much for calling it.

 

[0924487]

I read up on it.

“Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to Dolby Atmos tracks using any headphones, according to Apple.”

Apple Music Gaining Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio in iOS 14.6, Not All Tracks Supported at Launch

Apple Music's incoming Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio features will be available in June on devices running iOS 14.6, iPadOS...

www.macrumors.com

So much for calling it.

You are weeks lates mate. Things change.

 

[ericwn]

You are weeks lates mate. Things change.

Yes between your guesswork of calling it and the reality in a release mate. Apple called it now.